Mum shocks the internet by transforming her old garden furniture for just £4

Sometimes all it needs is a good lick of paint

In a country where the sun shines for approximately three weeks a year, it is safe to say our garden furniture takes a bit of battering. It's dragged in and out of garden sheds, left out in the rain, 'attacked' by the local wildlife and goodness knows what else.

Related: Mum dazzles the internet with amazing before and after pictures using 89p cleaning spray

It’s not long before a pristine garden table resembles an antique, and not in a good way. To some, this might be a sign for a new set of garden furniture.

But who really wants to spend a fortune buying new stuff for those rare sunny days?

white door house garden plants and chair

(Image credit: Future PLC/ Sussie Bell)

If this thought has ever crossed your mind, listen up because a Mum from Glasgow has found the solution. The best news is it’ll only cost £4!

Posting on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group on Facebook, Laura Carroll showed off her impressive before and after shots of a mottled green plastic table that was left looking as good as new, thanks to a can of Rust-Oleum spray paint.

white table in garden before and after applying anti rust spray

(Image credit: Laura Carroll/ Facebook)

Writing underneath her post she revealed: ‘This stuff is amazing, it took me 5 minutes to do 2 coats and it makes my garden furniture look brand new again (aside from a couple of drips where I was too close with the spray paint.)

Her post attracted over 249 likes and 71 comments, with many wondering if this would work on other marked white surfaces. From freezer handles to sun-bleached bath panels, a few layers of Rust-Oleum Direct to Plastic spray paint should have them looking spick and span.

One group member commented: ‘This is fab we got it from Homebase and used it to freshen up our window sills.’

Rust-oleum spray paint

Laura Carroll had snapped up her can of Rust-Oleum spray paint for just £4 at her local hardware shop, but shoppers pointed out that it was available at Homebase and B&Q, too. However, if you can’t get to either of those it’s also available on Amazon at a price of £8.25.

Rust oleum spray paint in blue bottle

(Image credit: Amazon)

Buy: Rust-Oleum 400ml Direct to Plastic Spray, £8.25, Amazon

The spray requires no primer and can be applied directly onto the plastic. Just give your chosen surface a quick clean before applying in an even layer and topping up if needed with a second coat.

You should be left with a glossy white finish that should still wipe clean and durable.

Related: Garden seating ideas for your outdoor living room

Will, you been upcycling any of your furniture this summer?

Rebecca Knight
Deputy Editor, Digital

Rebecca Knight has been the Deputy Editor on the Ideal Home Website since 2022. She graduated with a Masters degree in magazine journalism from City, University of London in 2018, before starting her journalism career as a staff writer on women's weekly magazines. She fell into the world of homes and interiors after joining the Ideal Home website team in 2019 as a Digital Writer. In 2020 she moved into position of Homes News Editor working across Homes & Gardens, LivingEtc, Real Homes, Gardeningetc and Ideal Home covering everything from the latest viral cleaning hack to the next big interior trend.